I Come from Bowman Lane: A Family History Memoir

Margaret Gethers Scott has been the Ford Family historian since 1996. Here, she first offers a wealth of information about why and how to write one's own family history. She then proceeds to her main subjects, the seven children of her earliest known ancestors, ex–slaves Charles Ford and Rebecca Small Ford. The parents and children were all born in the 1800s. Margaret, born in 1946, is the granddaughter of Tom, the youngest of those seven children. Charles and Rebecca are placed in the historical context of Emancipation and Reconstruction in the African American community in South Carolina, where the author still lives. In telling the stories of The Big 7 and their very numerous descendants, much general history of the area in the early and mid–20th century is interwoven with more personal anecdotes. Many of those are humorous, and all of them are vividly narrated. There are long lists of the descendants' names, and there is well–earned acknowledgment of their impressive accomplishments in many fields: music, the military, education, business, diverse trades, and more. Some sections present fascinating snapshots of culture, detailing things such as typical foods of the area, quilting traditions, yellowware pottery, and time–tested construction techniques. Naturally, in addition to the uplifting stories of hard work, family unity, and perseverance, there are some painful stories of prejudice and tragedy. As is only right, there is no whitewashing of history here. But at the close of the book, as the author obviously intended, the reader is left with a wonderful, over–arching impression of warmth, as beautiful and comforting as an heirloom quilt.